FDA and Academic; Research Institutions to Collaborate Under Nanotechnology Initiative

Posted: March 23, 2009

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unveiled a new collaboration initiative with the Houston-based Alliance for NanoHealth (ANH) and its eight member institutions to help speed development of safe and effective medical products in the emerging field of nanotechnology.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding, the FDA/ANH Nanotechnology Initiative will work to expand knowledge of how nanoparticles behave and affect biologic systems, and to facilitate the development of tests and processes that might mitigate the risks associated with nanoengineered products. All outcomes from this public-private partnership will be placed in the public domain for the benefit of all stakeholders

"FDA's Nanotechnology Initiative with the Alliance for NanoHealth is an effort to engage resources and technical expertise in this rapidly advancing field, and is a clear example of leveraging science and scientists to advance the public good," said Frank M. Torti, MD, MPH, the FDA's acting commissioner. "Nanotechnology holds great promise for the advancement of novel medical products."

Nanotechnology involves the creation and use of materials at the level of molecules and atoms and presents challenges and opportunities for the FDA's entire regulatory product jurisdiction, from food to medical devices to therapeutics.

The eight academic institutions include Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Rice University, the University of Houston, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Texas A & M Health Science Center, the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and the Methodist Hospital Research Institute.